Report Offers Research Directions for Understanding the Sociology of Aging

The aging of the population of the United States is occurring at a time of major economic and social changes. The science of sociology offers an important knowledge base and analytical approach that can help us understand and plan for our changing demographics.

In a new report, The Future of the Sociology of Aging: An Agenda for Action, a panel assembled by the National Research Council evaluates contributions of social demography, social epidemiology and sociology to the study of aging and identifies promising new research directions in these fields.

The report is one of several recent publications from the National Academies dealing with the implications of the aging U.S. population, including: